Guest Blog // Underground House Tour: Melody

Today, I am going to be handing the blog over to a very special person to do a very cool house tour. This home is special to me because it is where my brother and I grew up! Yes … my mother will be talking about her and my father’s unique, whimsical, and beautiful home. Thanks, Mom!

Twenty some years ago my husband wanted to look at an underground house that was for sale in our area. At the time, we were looking for houses with acreage and this one had 17, so I agreed (only because I was curious). I had visions of a cave, something damp and dark. Well, to make a long story short, it has been over 20 years and we are still here. We love our underground home!

(Above: The "before" is when the house was first purchased.)

What is the most common reaction you get when you tell people that you live in “an underground house?”

Whenever I happen to mention that I live in an underground home, the most common reaction is curiosity. Most of the people are fascinated. They want to know about the construction (poured concrete walls..not cement blocks) whether it’s claustrophobic (2100 square ft open floor plan, so, not at all), utility bills (low), whether it’s damp (two dehumidifiers on both sides of the house..so, no), and if it’s dark (complete front of the house is all windows and the bedrooms have skylights, so there is plenty of natural light). Those are just a few questions I’m asked. Living underground makes a great conversational piece!

What would you say your overall “style” is for decorating and/or enhancing your home?

All of the doors, cabinetry, and walls are constructed with rough-cut cedar, so it gives our house a “cabin” feel. One person who visited our home said she would feel like she was on vacation every day if she lived here...to me, that was a great way to describe it. My decorating style is definitely not traditional! My husband and I love to incorporate antiques and family heirlooms into our rooms. Lots of pieces have stories behind them. If I had to label it, I would say our taste was eclectic, whimsical and vintage...all combined to create a style to compliment an uncommon underground house. Because of the fact that the house is so non-traditional, it gives me the freedom to have a little fun and be less rigid with my decorating choices.

What is your favorite part about your home?

My favorite part about our home is the setting. The original owner put a lot of thought in the placement of the house. The sun exposure is perfect for every season. The house also offers privacy and seclusion, which means a lot to me.

What is your favorite room, and why?

My favorite room is the kitchen. It is the first room that people see when they enter the house, so they are naturally drawn there. It is where I  spend the majority of my time when I am inside the house. I love the open floor plan and all the windows give me a feeling of being connected to the outside.

Because there is only one door to the house that serves as the entrance and the exit, things can get a little hectic with all the coming and going. We had to get a little creative by adding a pew for putting on shoes and hooks down the hall for hanging jackets, sweaters and book bags.

We replaced the white carpet that was originally in the house with Mexican tile. Because the tile is dried outside in the sun, occasionally animals will run over the tile and leave their footprints. Several of our tiles have animal prints, which is pretty cool.

Instead of curtains, we hung stained-glass windows. It still allows light to come through and provides color and privacy.

The front of the house is heated with a wood-burning stove. (The bedrooms have central heat and air.)

We like the way the living room is just around the corner from the open living space. This provides privacy from the noise of the kitchen when things are busy.

Our collection of old prints (mostly of river scenes).

My favorite pieces in the kitchen are the old stainless steel medical cabinet (below) and Industrial stainless steel work stations that were put together to form an eating/preparation area (above).

The original kitchen had butcher block counter tops. It really was too much wood because of the cedar cupboards. We changed to black granite counter tops, which added definition.

This was originally my son’s room. After he married and moved out, I changed it into a guestroom. Because it is the only interior room in the house (except for the bathrooms) and it doesn’t have a skylight, these factors makes it the most quiet and darkest room ... great elements for sleeping. Many a guest has stated that they lost all sense of time while sleeping and are surprised at what time of day it is when they come out!

I painted the cement floor to look like bricks.

My favorite pieces in this room are the chandelier (below) for $10 at a thrift store, and the old door that we made into a hall tree (above). I love re-purposed items.

The master bedroom is very private because it is completely on the other side of the house.

A very talented artisan carpenter friend of ours made the built in bookshelves. Behind the old wardrobe doors is a desk that he also made from old reclaimed wood. We love this added space and it looks like it has always been part of the original house.

The purpose behind this room is to inspire creativity and imagination in a child and to provide a place of comfort and a room for entertainment provided by something other than modern day technology. One can only hope. 

This is the largest bedroom in the house. It was our daughter’s room before she married and moved out. I decided to make it into our future grandkids' room. Because of the large size, I divided it into a side for girls and a side for boys. Each bed has a roll-away bed underneath. (So the room can sleep 5).

My daughter made the chalkboard signs, which sweetly defines the combined girl/boy theme behind the room.

Kids can have a lot of fun with an old pump organ, right?

Behind those closed doors (above) is a closet packed full of costumes, dress up clothes, accessories and props....my adult kids, to this day, still love to dress in costume, and I’m hoping the same for my grandkids!

No room is complete without plenty of books to inspire the imagination. I tried to include vintage along with modern day authors.

What do you want people to feel when they come into your home?

Naturally, I would want people to feel welcome. It is important to me to know that whoever is visiting can feel relaxed and at home. I would hope that they enjoy their visit in an inviting and comfortable atmosphere to the point of wanting to stay longer than they had planned...that’s always a good indicator.

Do you have any future goals/projects?

As you can see from the before and after pictures, this house has been a work in progress....only to make it our own by incorporating new ideas and changes, mostly to the outside area. There has been talk of adding a “Hobbit” door to the house, so we’ll see!

**UPDATE** Yes, the Hobbit door was added in 2020! Whoo-hoo! They (and I) LOVE it!!!

Overall, what tips, advice, or suggestions would you give others about the home or house design?

Owning and living in an underground house has been a great experience. I have no regrets in choosing to do so. However, here are a few things one might want to consider before making that decision. First of all, because it is a different type house, it was a little difficult to get home insurance because there were no "comparables." Also, we would have liked to have had higher ceilings and more electrical outlets. There is no overhead lighting so rooms have to be lit with lamps, which can be a little dark in the evenings when you need more light. The interior of the house is quite soundproof, so if you like to wake up to birds singing, that’s not going to be an option, however, skylights allow the sun in on sunny mornings and occasionally, I have woken up to a bird hopping around on top of the skylight.

Wrap-Up: In our almost 39 years of marriage, My husband and I have lived in many different homes. An apartment, a single wide mobile home, a 100-year-old home (took two years to restore), a tent (for two weeks), a contemporary split-level, a traditional brick, an A-frame, and lastly, our underground house. Every house that we have lived in has been special to us and I know it’s because of the memories that were made there. This house is no exception. Yes, it’s unique and different, and we love living here - there’s no denying that! But when Candace asked me to do a guest blog about our home, I knew that she was attached to the idea because it was the home she was raised in. It was the memories of her childhood: the fun, the food, the bonfires, the parties, the go cart trails, her forts, her pets, her sleepovers, her brother, friends and family, and the love and laughter (and the tears)... all the things that make a house a home. It’s where her heart is and mine too. Thank you, Candace, for inviting me into your world of blogging and, through it, I have realized - once again - how very blessed I am!